Many people suffer from venous disease, which are conditions related to veins that become diseased or abnormal. For example, vein walls may become weak or damaged, causing the blood to flow backward when muscles surrounding the veins relax. Backwards flow of blood may cause high pressure in the veins, resulting in stretching, twisting, and swelling of veins. Venous disease may include spider veins, varicose veins, leg swelling and leg pain, chronic venous insufficiency, leg epidermis changes, leg ulcers, phlebitis, vascular malformations, and venous malformations, for example. Mild venous disease does not typically affect the day to day life of a person suffering from venous disease; however, severe cases can be debilitating.
To facilitate healing of venous disease, a firm-fitting wrap or elastic bandage may be used to apply compression to a limb or other tissue site. The bandage must be held in tension as it is applied to the limb or other tissue site. However, it may be difficult to determine whether an appropriate amount of tension is being applied to the bandage during its application, potentially decreasing the effectiveness of the compression therapy.